Active Living | Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors

Most of us already know the importance of active living. Physical activity increases energy levels, helps us handle stress better, strengthens the heart and lungs and helps us reach and maintain a healthy body weight – all important aspects of healthy living. The result is a better quality of life for people of all ages. Yet less than half of all Manitobans of all ages do enough physical activity to improve their health.

That’s why the Manitoba government has joined with community partners in physical activity, health, healthy living, recreation, sport and education to bring you Manitoba in motion.

Getting “in motion”
Just How Much Physical Activity is Enough?
Six Easy Ways to Move More Every Day
Useful Links

Getting “in motion”

In motion is a provincial strategy to help all Manitobans make physical activity part of their daily lives for health and enjoyment.

Working together, we can raise activity levels in Manitoba and reduce some of the barriers to physical activity.

At times we all face barriers to being active. Barriers can include a lack of time, lack of energy, lack of motivation, or an illness or injury. By first identifying the barrier and planning ways to overcome them we can find solutions to build physical activity into our day. Click here for some tips on overcoming barriers .

Tools and resources are available to help individuals, families, communities, workplaces and schools plan and implement ways to get “in motion”.

Here’s how you can get started today!

Become a Community in motion
Become a Workplace in motion
Become a Healthy Schools in motion

Moving Around Manitoba

Moving Around Manitoba is an exciting initiative encouraging Manitobans to get “in motion” by increasing physical activity, making healthy eating choices, and supporting emotional well-being.

Collectively, Manitobans are making virtual trips around Manitoba as we track our physical activity on the Moving Around Manitoba website. Distance log sheets, physical activity trackers and food trackers are available here. Join the movement now!

Just How Much Physical Activity is Enough?

Canada’s Physical Activity Guide says that adults need to accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity daily to stay healthy or improve our health. For children and youth, the amount of physical activity needed is higher. They need to accumulate at least 90 minutes of physical activity a day, 60 minutes of moderate activity and 30 minutes of vigorous activity.

Add up your activities in periods of 10 minutes each. Start slowly…and build up.

Want to track your progress? Use these physical activity trackers to see if you are getting enough:

Manitoba in motion Monthly Activity Tracker for Adults
Manitoba in motion Monthly Activity Tracker for Children and Youth

Six Easy Ways to Move More Every Day

Explore Your Neighborhood

Walk to your nearest school or grocery store and time yourself. You may be surprised at how quickly you can get where you want to go without driving.

Walk and Talk

Got a casual meeting at work? Or a teen that wants to talk through a problem? Go for walk while you talk. It’s a great way to get away from interruptions.

Encourage Active Kids

Toddlers rarely stop moving. Then, all too often, school-age kids end up in front of the TV or computer screen. Find ways to get your kids moving and you’ll move more too! Try kicking a ball with them while getting caught up on their day. Or dance along to their favorite music. Head to a park and play catch or throw a Frisbee.

TV Plus

Most TV shows don’t require 100 percent of your attention. Think about what else you can do while watching. Stretch out the day’s stresses. Do knee bends while you catch up on the laundry.

Pick Your Spot

At the mall, at work or when visiting friends, park just a little bit further away and walk. If you take a bus, get off one stop earlier.

Challenge Yourself to Choose the Stairs

At home or at work, take every opportunity to take the stairs. It’s a great weight-bearing and bone-strengthening exercise that helps build muscles and endurance.

Useful Links

Looking for more information, ideas and resources? Visit some of these helpful links on active living and physical activity.

Active Living Guides

Health Canada's Physical Activity Guide advises that there are three types of activities you need to do to keep your body healthy: endurance activities, flexibility exercises and strength activities.
Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth encourages children and youth to build physical activity into their daily routine which helps to create a pattern that may stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Canada's Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults explains why and how older Canadians need to aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week and provides practical advice for older Canadians on starting and staying with a physically active lifestyle.
Walking: The Activity Of A Lifetime gives tips on how to start a walking program and explains the benefits of walking and active living.
Active Living at Work suggests the benefits of being active in the workplace, summarizes the research that has been done, provides some information about what works and how to get started, and provides a template for practitioners to use in developing a business case for active living in their own organizations.
Kids in motion – An Early Start to Physical Activity for Babies, Infants and Preschoolers
Guide to Healthy Living

Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors